Thankfully, the tides are turning in Silicon Valley too. For one, there’s the Center for Humane Technology, made up of former tech insiders and CEOs concerned with how technology is hijacking our society and our minds — particularly with phones, apps and the Internet. Worried about tech that destroys self-worth, fragments our communities, and is deliberately addictive, the Center pushes for more humane design that understands human vulnerabilities. Their work also includes applying political pressure, creating a cultural awakening among consumers, and empowering tech employees who want to improve society.
Last year, two major Apple investors published an open letter calling on the company to ensure that young people are safely using their products, concerned by research showing that excessive use of smartphones and social media can cause mental health issues and problems with sleep and concentration. In response, Apple introduced the Screen Time app, which allows users to monitor how much time they’re spending on their phones. It’s also possible to set daily limits for apps, which lock them once the allowance is up. Google has made similar moves, and has created a ‘Wind Down’ feature which sets the phone to Do Not Disturb mode and greyscale in the evening to aid better sleep.
It’s no simple question to ask who is responsible for ensuring responsible smartphone usage — tech developers, schools, parents, governments, health agencies? US studies have shown that parents believe it is their responsibility to monitor smartphone use in children — but how do they become informed about the dangers in the first place?
Some academics have suggested that smartphones come with a warning pertaining to their addictiveness and negative impact upon social relations. Or perhaps we should simply take more responsibility for ourselves? Though it’s tricky when we’re dealing with a technology that was designed to addict us. At this point, tech developers shoulder at least some of the burden — and thankfully it’s looking like there’s been a shift in the right direction.
In any case, there’s an underlying question of whether innovators carry a social responsibility. Some professions, like medicine or law enforcement, follow a code of ethics, but there is no encompassing guideline for tech developers — despite their massive influence. This needs to change, with human wellbeing as a key concern — alongside the discouragement of exploitation of human vulnerabilities (like addiction).
In our increasinly hi-tech society, we should be talking about these things more. Smartphone side effects can be looked at as a gasp for breath from the canary-in-the-coal-mine regarding the wider relationship between humanity and technology. As more and more items of technology become ‘smart’, become part of everyday living, become an extension of ourselves, we need to be aware of the full spectrum of implications — and act to preserve human wellbeing.
Changing perspectives on smartphones ultimately provide an interesting reminder of the complex relationship we have with technology. From smartphones to nuclear power, technology is ultimately a neutral tool — how good or bad it is being determined by how we decide to use it, and whether we pay attention to the warning signs.
Last year marked the 200 year anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and odd though it may seem, the eponymous doctor’s relationship with his monster might have something interesting to say about our approach to smartphones. At its heart, Frankenstein isn’t really a warning about inventing something inherently terrible; it’s about failing to take responsibility for one’s creation — this is how we find ourselves with something monstrous on our hands. Similarly, renowned technology commentator Bruno Latour argues that we should care for our technologies as we do our children — and not leave them to their own (smart)devices.
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the the world’s most iconic smartphone bears on its back the image of a bitten apple, reminding us that knowledge and power may come with consequences.
At this stage in our human development, we retain the power to curb the negative impact of smartphones (and other similar technologies) by taking action on the side effects we now see. It’s time to take control of our gadgets — before they take control of us.
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